The Secret of the Madrigal Scroll
by Oceans of Abstract Colors
Summary: Cahill Island falls into the hands of trial. The sleeping threat has risen. But the sword of the warrior is still concealed.  alternate universe
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

"I mussssst find it…" A hiss echoed.

The stone corridor was covered in torchlight. Cells were found on either side of the big hollow hall. There was clanking of metal and rumbling of thunder. Howls, cries and barks were heard from every direction. In the cells, you will find blood-colored dogs, snakes larger than humans, small winged people with blazing auras, flesh-eating horses and many more.

It was a dungeon. And its prisoners were creatures of myth.

"Would you keep sssssstill? You will help me, and I will give you ssssssomething in return," a woman, with no skin but green scales, no legs but two scaly reptilian tails, and a forked tongue between sharp fangs, said. "Why, you're my petsssss, remember? There isss no way you could get out of there." Her tongue flickered at every S sound. She turned to the cursing little winged people and swung her fiery scythe at them. "Well, there is actually one way. And it won't be unlesssss you help me with my ssssearch. Are we making oursssselvessss clear?"

All the creatures surrounding her nodded in fear.

"Good. We shall ssssstart sssssoon…"

She strode off the long passageway and closed the entrance door as soon as she got out. More cries were heard as the door closed. Engraved on the door was a golden and red crest: a caduceus, two snakes wrapped around a sword.

It was the coat of arms of the Lucian Kingdom.


	2. The Flaming Cornerstone

**CHAPTER 1: The Flaming Cornerstone**

Standing in the middle of the beautiful garden of the palace, Princess Natalie lifted her hands to the sky and closed her eyes. She was focusing her energy. She curled her fingers slowly and formed a ball with them. Tiny bright sparks crackled on each of her fingertips. She put some distance between her fingers and one by one, the sparks became bigger and turned into little balls of fire. Then, she brought her hands down on chest level. A pod of red light surrounded her, making her crimson dress flow like dancing flames in the early afternoon breeze and her long silky dark brown hair shine wildly in the sun. She opened her eyes, and for an instant her eyeballs were replaced by the sparks similar to the ones she had produced. The balls of fire on her fingertips gleamed and became fiery arrowheads.

A target, the one used in darts but without the numbers and all, stood in front of her, about a few meters away. And Natalie was going to hit it with her flaming arrows.

The princess stepped forward and exhaled. "FIRE!" she cried as she released the arrows and sent them flying towards the target. The arrows of red and yellow flames developed blue tails as they flew. When they hit, Princess Natalie got no more than five bull's-eyes. That's half of the arrows she threw. Then the target began burning up.

There. Her training was done.

"Impressive," her brother, Prince Ian, said as he touched the burning target and extinguished the fire with his bare hands. "But not really in a place where magic is everybody's hobby."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Well, that's all for today. I have much more time to train, anyway. Perhaps next time I should try cooking some raw meat."

A fire appeared at Prince Ian's palm. "I'm through with that."

"You'll see. Someday, I'll be crowned as the Best Magic Princess."

"Oh, that will happen."

Natalie scoffed. "You know what? I will just go to the Cornerstone Chamber and see how everything's going."

"I'll go with you, then," Ian insisted. He knew that the Cornerstone Chamber was very dangerous, even though he knew Natalie was immune. He had to go with her.

"Whatever."

…

The Lucian Kingdom was the kingdom of Fire Magic. They can command fire and form things with it. By nature, Lucians are ruthless, strategists, and great leaders. Fire resembles their will power and strength. A caduceus symbolized the kingdom. The Kingdom of Fire wasn't made up of a big volcano, with all the magma spraying everywhere. But, it was in the Cornerstone Chamber.

Only one narrow rocky path led to a huge floating thing. It was the Flaming Cornerstone. The life of the kingdom is told through here. It was a giant orb with a flame burning inside. The stronger the flame burned, the better the kingdom was. And just yesterday, Prince Ian knew the Cornerstone glowed bright red-orange, but…

"Why is it purple?" Natalie asked, confused.

"I've no idea." Ian replied, stunned.

Natalie's pupils blended with the lava surrounding them. And no one dared looking at her when this happened, or they would incinerate.

"Relax," Ian walked to the pool of molten rock beside him. He closed his eyes and said a chant in Irish. The lava gathered and a perfect circle of pure water appeared. In the water, an image of the Cave of Antiques, the home of the Lucian ancestors, with all the ancient artifacts and human remains, was shown. "Oh no."

"Why?" Natalie asked, walking beside him. "What is it?"

"The Cave of Antiques. Remember, it is where the Lucian Scroll is hidden?"

_The Lucian Scroll. It contains extraordinary power. The fire spells within it are powerful enough to burn perhaps the entire island._

"It's the only valuable object in there. Nobody ever gets in or out in that place…unless you're a Lucian, of course. But, who and why would they would go in there?"

Ian swallowed hard. _No other important thing…_

"Then that could only mean that it's…_stolen_."


	3. The Murky Waters

**CHAPTER 2: The Murky Waters**

It was a pleasant day at the coast. The sea was peaceful and crystal clear. People were playing along the beach and some were sword training. The Tomas Kingdom was known as a home of great warriors and explorers—the strongest and bravest in all of Cahill Island. It's also the place of Water Magic.

At the far side of the shore, only two figures were swinging swords at each other. No one dared to step near them, for they knew these two were really good at fighting. Both of them wore blue capes, silver pearl-studded armor and metal helmets with turquoise seashells. Their swords were surrounded by an aura of water. No doubt, they were part of the royal family: the king and his son, the prince.

After a series of slashes and minor stabs, Prince Hamilton lunged forward and parried until the next thing his opponent knew was that a sword pointed to his throat. King Eisenhower squeezed his sword's hilt tight with his big hands. He tried to hurl away his son's weapon, but instead received a blow from Hamilton that sent _his_ weapon flying. The prince lunged again, and this time the king fell on the sand on his back. He tried to get up, but suddenly noticed a circle of people surrounding them. They started applauding in amazement. King Eisenhower knew what that meant - his son was getting a lot better

"Let me help you, Dad." Hamilton reached for his father's hand and smiled.

The king laughed as he took his son's hand and stood up, "That was great, son." He patted Hamilton's back.

"Does that mean I could be a knight now?" The prince said eagerly.

"Perhaps…who knows? Maybe even more than that…"

The people around them cheered and clapped.

King Eisenhower turned to them. "Now everyone, I'll assure you will all be there when my son becomes one of my warriors. Thank you. You may now leave us."

One by one, the residents scurried away. "If I become your knight, I will never fail you, Dad," Hamilton promised.

"You never fail me," his father said proudly. "Hmmm…where are your sisters?"

Hamilton knew his twin sisters, Princesses Reagan and Madison, were swimming in the sea in their mermaid forms. They always did when the sea was warm and sparkly. But…wait.

The water was slowly turning greenish.

Hamilton rushed to the water, "Reagan! Madison!"

…

Princesses Reagan and Madison were happily swimming with their fish friends in their beautiful scaly blue tails and arms. They also wore powder blue wraparound shirts and jeweled seaweed headbands. They were on their way to the coast, when a big white shark approached them. It didn't really look like it was hungry.

"Pearly!" Madison cried. Tomas can speak to aquatic animals. "What is it?" Reagan asked.

Pearly the Shark looked scared, but she spoke. To an ordinary person, she was only flapping her mouth senselessly, but to the twins, she was saying, "Your highnesses! Come, please, follow me!" Pearly shook its tail and swam farther down the sea.

The princesses were confused. But Pearly looked really frightened, so they decided to follow her. There might be something down there doing bad things.

"We have to make this fast, or father will get mad at us," Madison insisted.

"Sure. Let's just check out what Pearly has to show first," Reagan replied.

They headed for the depths. Somewhere there laid the Cavern of Crystals. It was covered by a huge rock with the Tomas coat of arms, a blue bear. Only a Tomas can seal and unseal it, and nobody dared doing that. Inside the cavern was the Tomas Scroll, the legendary scroll that contained the secrets of ultimate Water Magic.

As they were approaching the Cavern of Crystals, in the corner of her eye, Princess Reagan saw somebody's shadow. In an instant, she knew what Pearly was talking about. She caught up with the shark and swam quickly to the cavern.

Madison stared in awe. "Whoa."

The blue light of the Tomas crest on the big rock was fading. Princess Reagan touched the crest and with her other hand, she produced a glowing ball. It sparked so bright that it almost blinded them. She pressed it onto the crest and the rock moved. The inside of the cavern was filled with blue and white crystals. A big bubble was in the middle of the room. And the Tomas Scroll wasn't inside it.

"No! It's gone!" The twins screamed. Pearly was hysterical, too.

The princesses tried to swim after the shadowy figure but as they went deeper, the current pulled them and Pearly like a magnet. Suddenly, they were entering what seemed like a dark abyss. Seaweed wrapped around the girls' arms and tails, and around Pearly's fins and mouth. Even the twins, who were very strong, could not move.

Then all they saw was black.

…

"Reagan…Madison…" Hamilton's voice was cloudy.

Reagan's mind was also cloudy. She rubbed her head and groaned. She tried to open her eyes but she can't. They were now in their human form. What had happened to the Scroll…and the shadow…and Pearly…?

Madison was the same. Nothing was really clear in her head for the moment. All she could remember was swimming through the depths with a current pulling them down. She still felt its magnet-like pull up to now. She also felt warm sand on her back.

"What happened?" They heard Hamilton's voice again.

Reagan managed to sit up and speak, "The…scroll…gone…" She coughed.

Madison sat up breathing heavily. "The shadow," she murmured.

Hamilton's eyes were wide open. He looked at the sea. The twins turned their heads to the direction, too.

To their surprise, the sea was deep moss green.


	4. The Withering Bloom

**CHAPTER 3: The Withering Bloom**

The palace of the Janus Kingdom was truly colorful, though it was only painted in gold, several shades of green, and white. What really made it colorful were the smudges of paint. There was paint on the floors, windows, ceilings, walls, all of different colors. Besides that, the entire castle was also decorated with so many rare plants and flowers. On the palace grounds, there was a big orchard. There stood the giant Life Tree. Green lanterns hung on its branches. Inscriptions and pictures of important events in the history of Janus Kingdom were carved on the tree trunk, including the Kingdom's crest: the green wolf. Janus Kingdom was the Kingdom of Earth Magic.

One room in the palace was covered with paintings and drawings. Like the rest of the rooms, it was also coated in paint, although it was messier. A wardrobe with drawings was in the corner. There was a big pink and green bed with a wooden frame and rainbow petals. Books and papers which looked like maps were scattered across the floor. There were also stuffed animals hanging on the walls, some were in a treasure-box-like chest near the foot of the bed.

All Janus excelled at art: painting, writing, singing, and such. And the paintings were a work of a true Janus—artistic, elegant and whimsical. Most of them were abstract and landscapes. They almost looked like they're from another world.

They were the works of the two-year-old Princess Blissy.

She was playing with her big brother, Prince Jonah. "Ba-bou!" she babbled. Blissy knew how to paint before she could even talk properly.

"Brother…" Prince Jonah was teaching her a few simple words. He always longed for a little sister, and he wanted to be called as brother.

Blissy smiled. "Wob ya, Ba-bou."

Jonah knew what it meant: _I love you, Brother._ It made him blush.

Blissy could walk, but she preferred that her big glittery green cloud with wings carried her. She simply sat on it and it moved to wherever she wanted to go. It was her gift on her first birthday made by certain friends.

The princess flew because of that. She floated about four feet above the oak wood floor. She flew to the balcony and swept away the vine curtains with her small hands. From the balcony, the Life Tree could be seen. Suddenly, Princess Blissy saw a parade of green sparks exiting from a hole in the tree.

Jonah followed his sister and gazed at the village below from the balcony. Princess Blissy stared deeply into the big tree and saw something that seemed to attract her attention. She pulled the corner of Jonah's satin green coat, but at first he didn't seem to notice, so she just flew down to the tree. Jonah tried to stop her, but Blissy always went after the interesting things she saw, so he ran outside and went down to follow her instead.

"Hey, Blissy, wait up, yo!" he cried as he ran out of the palace.

Blissy was exploring the hollow inside of the Life Tree. It was covered in earthly wonders: it was like a home within a tree. Earth spirits were sleeping on a ledge. Spiral stairs were carved on the sides. Blissy touched the flowers hanging on the wooden walls. They were wilting, which made the princess sad. Deep down inside the tree, a glass dome was hidden. A magic boundary surrounded it and only Janus can go in, though it was very dangerous so nobody went there. From outside the magic boundary, Blissy saw the glass dome. "Scuw…," she said.

Prince Jonah sang a tune to himself. It was a song he and his father, King Broderick made. But as he was about to sing his favorite part, he paused. The flowers around the Life Tree were drying up. Shocked, he walked to the flowers and waved his hand in the air. Little green leaves danced on his dewy fingers. The flowers grew a bit, although were not fully satisfied. For a moment, it was quiet outside, until…

"SCUW!" Blissy's voice echoed.

"Blissy?" Jonah called "What's going on?" Immediately, he ran to the tree and went after his sister.

The princess flew to her brother as soon as she heard him coming. She pointed to the glass dome.

Blissy spoke once again, "Scuw."

"Scuw," Jonah knew, meant "Scroll." She was talking about the Janus Scroll, their ancestors' most prized treasure. With it, it is possible to make plants grow in sand, crack the earth beneath and form amazing artworks with just a few spell words and a creative vision.

Jonah stepped farther down to look at it, and he saw it.

Or rather, he saw nothing within the dome.


	5. The Summer Winds

**CHAPTER 4: The Summer Winds**

Princess Sinead of the Ekaterina Kingdom was sleeping on a fluffy white cloud. Her golden wings, which were even bigger than her petite fairy body, fluttered about. The cloth on her glittering gold ruffled skirt and lacy sunny yellow chemise waved gently in the wind. Her auburn hair swayed. And her body quivered.

She woke with a start. She exhaled and saw her own breath. The wind was colder and moister. She looked at the palace garden around her. It was not covered in snow or in hail. There wasn't even a trace of a recent storm. The wind just became colder—a lot colder.

"I b-b-better f-find N-ned and T-t-ted," she said through chattering teeth as she wrapped her arms around her shivering body. She stood up floating in the air and snapped her fingers. The cloud she slept on disappeared on the spot. She touched her necklace with the Ekaterina coat of arms: the yellow dragon. Suddenly, her wings shrunk and her body which was the about the size of one's entire hand, slowly grew and grew, until her full height. Her eyes, which were then yellow, turned dark green. Her chemise and her tiny skirt extended and became a golden day dress. White shoes with golden lining appeared on her bare feet.

"S-s-sinead!" The princess heard her brother's, Prince Ted's voice. "Th-there's s-something wrong!" Prince Ned shouted. They were running frantically to the palace garden, trying to find their way through the cloudy hedge maze. Princess Sinead ran to them, waving her hand.

When they met each other, they were like a trio of cloned freckled children. They were triplets, and they looked really alike. They had the same dark green eyes, auburn hair, and they were all tall. "You've g-got to c-come!" Ned cried. "Wait…why is it getting awfully c-cold l-lately?" Ted said.

Sinead grinned. "So, you've just n-noticed it? Yeah, it is a lot c-colder. I don't know w-why, though. Hmmm…what did you want me to s-see?"

Ned told Sinead about it, and then without hesitation, the triplets hopped on their pegasi and flew outside the castle and to the west side of the Ekaterina Kingdom. The Ekaterina Kingdom was the Kingdom of Air Magic. Ekaterinas love inventing and alchemy. Princes Ned and Ted loved creating flying devices and weapons out of their magic or raw material, and they with Sinead made the flying cloud for Princess Blissy. The kingdom was filled with clouds. The skies were always fine and clear, but lately, the wind had become colder. It was supposed to be summer and the winds were supposed to be warm and breezy, but it wasn't.

They arrived at their destination. A huge golden dragon was sleeping beside a chamber, which it guarded. It was called the Cloud Chamber because of its cloudy appearance. The dragon was shivering in the cold as well, snoring and covered in small cuts and scars. Princess Sinead hurriedly flew to the dragon and caressed its back and wings. She took out a little bottle from a bag hanging on her Pegasus's body. The liquid inside it was bright blue, and it was misty inside it. She poured a little on some of the dragon's wounds and put her hands close to them. Surprisingly, the wounds healed and closed. Sinead, as a princess, was more of a healer than a fighter. She made recipes or created her own medicinal potions and used her magic for curing.

"Are you feeling alright now, dear Onyx?" Sinead whispered.

Ned flew down to the dragon's ears. "Onyx?" He touched the dragon's wounds near its eyes. "These scars are the w-works of a blade," Ned suggested.

Onyx the dragon blinked and growled. His yawn sounded like a chorus of sea lions screeching. He breathed out and his cloudy breath moved away Ned and his winged horse. It was warm, and it made the triplets feel more relaxed. "What happened, boy?" Ted asked him.

Onyx turned his head and pointed to the Cloud Chamber but he didn't stand for his legs were weak. He roared softly and sniffed. Ted understood dragons, so he translated what the dragon said to them. "Some fairy man broke in the Cloud Chamber…Then, Onyx says he was holding a sword. They fought but even though he couldn't defeat Onyx, he managed to wound him deeply. And he got away with something…?" Ted chose the correct word. "Magical?"

"Magical? In the Cloud Chamber?" Ned asked.

Sinead gasped. "Was it yellow and cylindrical, boy?" she asked Onyx.

Ted spoke to the dragon. He nodded. "What is it?" He let Onyx repeat what he said. "Uh-oh." Then, Ted gulped.

Ned and Sinead rushed to the Cloud Chamber, sealed with the Ekaterina crest. Ned cast a spell to open it and they entered. Sinead couldn't believe her eyes. Beyond the Cloud Chamber laid a special object. Not only the air and the wind are possible to be controlled, but also all kinds of weather. It wasn't there. "No wonder the wind is very cold during summer," Ned said.

"What was Onyx saying again?" Sinead shouted so Ted could hear.

Ted's voice was panicky. "Scroll."


	6. Run of the Mill

**CHAPTER 5: Run-of-the-Mill**

_The four founders of the Cahill Island kingdoms, Katherine, Jane, Luke and Thomas, drank this certain elixir that helped them become masters of Magic. Katherine, an alchemist and inventor, became the Air Master. Her dream was to develop something that would make man fly, and to travel the world safely. Jane, an artist and visionary, became the Earth Master. She was a lover of nature and took much of inspiration from it. Luke, a leader and strategist, became the Fire Master. Leadership had become a burning passion in his heart even before so. Thomas, a warrior and explorer, became the Water Master. And as a warrior, he felt he needed tranquility, peace and oneness inside him, like the peaceful seas and rivers. Their magical abilities have passed on to their descendants. However, the fifth Kingdom, the Madrigal Kingdom's founder…_

Princess Amy turned the page of the book she was reading. This was her favorite book. Every time she read it, it made her wonder. It made her wonder about her life in Madrigal Kingdom as the princess. It made her want to see the world even more, but in it she found out that there are several boundaries stopping her from doing so. It made her wonder why: Why is life like this in Madrigal Kingdom?

Amy felt all kinds of emotions whenever she read this: fear, misery, anger, confusion and such. But she still wanted to read it. It was both interesting and disappointing.

…_Madeleine did not take the elixir. She didn't master any magic and decided to remain ordinary. None of her children, the Madrigals, had magical abilities like the others._

_It was that lonely night that all of her siblings went on separate paths to build their own Kingdoms. They didn't like their sister's decision. Madeleine composed a note to them before they left: "I chose to stay as myself for I know that someday I will regret having such powers. You can call me as ordinary but I know something deep inside me keeps me special. I am Madeleine and I will build my own Kingdom, the Madrigal Kingdom. My children will live there in peace and harmony, and will never feel the pain you will experience in some point of your lives. We will be the ones to start building our bridges to each other. Ordinary or not, life must go on. Farewell, Katherine, Jane, Luke and Thomas. Mother and Father wish the best for you."_

Princess Amy closed the book and felt a teardrop run down her cheek. It was long ago that she had faced the truth of being ordinary, but it still affected her a lot. She thought that it would be better if Mother Madeleine took the elixir and became like her siblings. That way, everybody was equal. That way, she wouldn't feel withdrawn from the rest of the world. But instead, Madeleine did not. She somehow felt that something will happen if she did. Amy admired Madeleine's kindness and strength, but turning against something as unimaginable as that was just too hard for the princess to take in her heart. While the other princesses, the majestic yet dangerous Princess Natalie, the tough and strong-willed Princesses Reagan and Madison, the sagacious Princess Sinead, and even artistic little Princess Blissy were doing magic, winning Princess Competitions, transforming into different creatures of myth, she was just there wandering in her mind, watching them and wishing to become like them.

Also, Amy never dressed up properly, stood straight or spoke without a slight stutter. She didn't know how to curtsey correctly, either. She didn't act like a princess. The people always noticed that, and talked behind her back about it. She couldn't blame them; she was the one not taking it seriously. Anyway, she didn't care of what others say about her. She is Amy. Even though she's the princess, she has the right to do what she wanted, too. She was already ordinary and cannot do magic, so why will they stop her from being a free spirit?

Sometimes she just wanted to sit under the shade of the oak tree. It was her favorite spot because it was quiet and comfortable there. She _always_ brought a leather bag which contained some of her several favorite books. She loved reading very much. She may not be able to travel, but with them, she saw the entire universe. She learned and imagined. Despite all of this, she still never forgot to have time with her family. Her mother, Queen Hope, her father, King Arthur, and her brother, Prince Daniel were the only ones she confided her thoughts with. She would ask them those questions about her unstable world. She had a question she wanted to ask years ago, but she never told them. It was just so…complicated.

She looked at the palace, its walls designed with obsidian and splashed with silver and white. Somehow she heard a faint voice in her head calling, "Princess Amy, Prince Daniel!" but she didn't mind it. She thought she was just thinking of it because she was too gloomy again. She turned her head to the right, and suddenly, right in front of her face, a blade star flashed and hit the tree trunk.

"DAN!" she cried. "You could have killed me!"

Prince Daniel, or Dan as Amy called him, ran so fast he seemed to have been losing his breath. His black shirt and charcoal slacks were filled with small cuts and slashes. He was holding two shurikens on his left hand and a black mask on the other. He stumbled at Amy's feet by the time he reached her. Amy quickly packed her books away in her bag. Prince Dan looked at her and laughed. "Ha-ha-ha!"

Amy's eyes widened and her lips curled into a smile. "What is it?"

"Did you see that? Did you see the way I threw the star?" he asked.

Amy nodded. "It almost hit me in the face."

"Well, sorry, but that could only mean I'm becoming better."

The faint voice occurred to Amy again, "Princess Amy, Prince Dan!"

"Is that…Uncle Fiske?" Dan said

"What? You mean you can hear it, too?"

"Of course,"

"Oh no," Amy felt like cold water washed down on her. "Aren't we supposed to go to our lessons now?"

As prince and princess, and because they didn't act properly, Dan and Amy took several weekly lessons. And this time, they were late _again_.


	7. Effects of Books and Shurikens

**CHAPTER 6: Effects of Books and Shurikens**

Princess Amy and Prince Dan ran as fast as they could to the palace.

"I'm just learning how to be a ninja, that's all! I can't believe it'll reach to the point of being late for the sixty-fourth time!" Dan said while panting.

Sir Fiske, their uncle and royal adviser, was waiting for them at the porch. He was wearing a silk black suit, trousers and a big sneer on his face. Beside him was his assistant, one of the royal cooks, Nellie, who was holding a long stick and a big wooden bucket. "Hey, Amy and Dan, better hurry up!" she shouted at them. Sir Fiske eyed her and she simply rolled her eyes and started humming. Fiske took a deep breath and as the children arrived, he gestured for Nellie and she handed him the long stick.

Amy almost pushed Dan when she halted. "We're so sorry we're late, Uncle Fiske!" she said. Dan felt his uncle's cold gaze at him, so did Amy. He stared at his shurikens and his mask, then to Amy's bag. Nellie held out the bucket. Amy and Dan quickly dropped their things inside. Amy met Nellie's eyes. She shrugged and said, "Just doing my job."

Sir Fiske hit the floor with his stick. "Line up," he said, looking at his golden watch. "And make it fast."

The prince and princess quickly stood beside each other and straightened up. Amy swept her clothes with her hands and fixed her long reddish-brown hair. Amy's gray dress and long black hooded cape were wrinkled and covered in loam and grass trimmings. Dan's clothes were filled with cuts, while little twigs were trapped between his dark blonde strands. Sir Fiske examined Dan's suit. "Tell me," he said, touching the cloth, "These are the works of…?"

Dan grinned. "My…um, shurikens, uncle."

Fiske let go of Dan's suit. "It is not a prince's duty to become a ninja. How many times do I have to remind you? I'm telling you Prince Dan; this will be my last warning. If I see you playing with those"—Fiske shook his hand in the air—"stars again, you will have to take your lessons _daily_."

"O-okay," Dan replied, even though he knew for a fact he could never stand not doing that.

Fiske turned to Amy. Amy knew she was in trouble just by the way he looked at her. He narrowed his eyes and bit his lip. "Princess Amy," he began, "Where were you again, outside the palace boundaries?"

Amy nodded. Fiske tapped his stick, "Stand straight," he said. Amy fixed her back and lifted her chin up. She moved one of her feet forward and relaxed her shoulders. She pushed her stomach in and exhaled. "Good," Fiske said. "Why were you outside?"

"I w-was just r-reading, Uncle Fiske," Amy stuttered. The adviser lifted a finger and said, "A princess does not stutter." Amy cleared her throat.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Fiske looked disappointed. "Well, I'm dismissing you anyway, dear niece and nephew. Nellie, please take them to their lessons."


	8. Madrigal Wonders

**Chapter 7: Madrigal Wonders**

After their lessons, Amy and Dan visited their mother and father, Hope and Arthur. This time, they were in the throne room.

"Father, Mother, I've been waiting to ask you this…," she said.

Queen Hope smiled. "Yes, Amy? What is it?"

"It's about…the Madrigal Scroll."

Arthur and Hope eyed each other. "Amy…that was unexpected," Dan said, and he knew their mother and father were thinking the same. Amy saw her father mouth the word, "No." They explained to Amy what threats the Madrigal Scroll contained. Nobody knew exactly what was inscribed on it, but they were sure that it was a blessing received by Madeleine from her mother, Olivia. The blessing wasn't passed on to her children, so she engraved it on the Scroll instead.

"Each kingdom keeps a Scroll written by their founders. The people think twice before reading. Each secret etched on the scrolls are both valuable and dangerous. Once they are opened and read, they will forever vanish," King Arthur said. "But, the power will be passed on to the children of the one who read it, of course," Queen Hope added.

"Hmmmm…well, can we at least look at it? You know, just the scroll itself and not its contents?" Dan asked. He was quite interested in seeing the Scroll himself. Amy smiled at him. "Please," they said.

Hope chuckled and tugged her husband gently. Arthur looked up, as if he was thinking. "I suppose so. I mean, I don't see any harm on showing you just the Scroll. You _are_ our children. You should at least see it," he said.

"Really? Oh, thank you!" Amy cried in delight. "Great!" Dan exclaimed.

Arthur stood up and knelt facing his throne. He pulled the skeleton key hanging from his necklace and touched the shiny black armrest of the throne. A small keyhole appeared on the armrest and he used the key to open it. The seat flipped inside out, revealing the small horn attached underneath it. It was black and covered in symbols and little diamonds. And it looked fragile, really fragile. Hope walked to the throne and held up the horn. She blew it and sounds mixed up in Amy and Dan's ears. To Amy, it was a choir of angels. To Dan, it was some kind of battle cry. But it was only one sound—a horn. "This is the Horn of Melodies," Hope explained "Everyone hears a different sound with it. The sound may tell about whom you really are or who you might be in the future. It is also used to call the Madrigal Keeper."

Amy and Dan didn't know what the "Madrigal Keeper" was, but they immediately knew when a golden cherub holding a box flew down like a ghost from the stained glass window of the throne room. He landed smoothly on the marble palace floor, and then bowed to the four of them. Hope faced Arthur. "You do the honor," she told him.

Arthur walked to the cherub, dropped on one knee. He bowed his head and raised the box. He told his children, "Amy, Dan, come here." They looked from behind their father, staring in amazement. The box was made of pure black crystal and it had a golden clasp in the middle. King Arthur undid the clasp and when the box opened, huge rays of light shone from inside it. The Madrigal Scroll was inside a black glass cylindrical case. "That…is…so…awesome," Prince Dan murmured.

Amy's feelings were odd. Just staring at the outside of the Scroll made her head spin round. Suddenly, she was standing in the middle of a circular hut. She could feel herself standing on gravel now, and not marble. The hut was made of straw, lined with ancient tools and furniture. A neatly-made bed and a large dining table were in the corner. A painting of a couple hung in the middle of the single-floored hut. Next to it were portraits of two men and three women, who might be their children. The woman in black, Amy reflected, looked like Queen Hope—with those eyes, that smile, some distinguishing facial features. Amy was there seeing all of it…or was she? Was that hut an illusion or was she really there?

Just then, she heard her mother scream and the world around her disappeared. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she was in the palace again. Her mother was lying unconscious on the floor with her father and brother holding her. The cherub, the Madrigal Keeper, was gone now, and the Scroll was nowhere to be seen. Where had she been? She ran to them, trying to see what was going on. She remembered the portrait of the woman in the hut. She looked strikingly like Hope. "Mother," Amy said.

"Amy? C'mon, help!" Dan cried.

"Amy. She's trying to tell us something," Arthur said, squeezing the queen's hand tight.

Amy walked close to them and listened. Dan tried to speak but Amy shushed him. She could hear her mother whispering something.

"Mother, what's wrong?"

"Something's…coming…destroy…Cahill…Island…soon…" Queen Hope coughed at every word. "Four…kingdoms…dying…slowly." Something was playing in her mind. When Hope foresaw the future, it is most likely to become real when something like this happens to her. Arthur, Dan and Amy were stunned. What something? How soon? Why will it destroy the island? What was happening at the other Kingdoms?

The door to the throne room opened. It was Nellie and she was holding some letter sealed with the Lucian crest. "Oh goodness, Queen Hope, are you alright?" She ran to them and helped the queen. She was still whispering words, although in a language very unfamiliar to Amy and Dan. King Arthur seemed to understand, but with difficulty. Nellie handed the note to Amy and told her and Dan, "You could let go of your mother now, kids. I'm on the job. Read it, it's important."

Amy and Dan scurried away. Amy opened the note and they read it. _Just as expected_, they thought. "Okay, let me get this straight. I messed up and almost had Uncle Fiske let me take daily lessons, you've gone crazy a while ago by just looking at the Madrigal Scroll, Mother is whispering ancient words saying something is coming to destroy the island soon, and now we have to go meet the other princes and princesses tomorrow at the Grand Tower! Everything's happening so abruptly! Could this get any worse?" Dan exclaimed.

Amy nodded. "Wait. I've gone crazy?" she asked.

"Yes, I mean, I saw light come out from the seven holes of your head a while ago." Dan laughed.

Dan was actually right. It made Amy think: _What was really going on?_


	9. Awakened Nightmare

**CHAPTER 8: Awakened Nightmare**

Deep inside the Lucian dungeons was a secret room. It was dark and narrow, and only a small table stood in the middle. Four scrolls, of yellow, green, red and blue, hovered above a cauldron with bubbling liquid on top of the table.

"No matter how powerful those kings and queens are, none of them are strong enough to defeat the _Spiorad na Draiochta_," said the reptilian woman, her voice icy and stiff. "Their auras still take up their magical abilities. Kings and queens are only called powerful by means of the protection they get from their auras. Ironic, isn't it?"

"Aren't you a queen, too?" another woman said. She was wearing a long, black and red robe. Her hair was bleached blonde and her left eye twitched every now and then. "Don't be too proud of yourself. You would not have done this without me." She pointed to the cauldron. "I helped capture those pests and ordered them to steal the Scrolls from the other Kingdoms," she said.

The reptilian woman hissed. She faced the blonde woman and smiled, revealing her fangs. "Would you please show a little respect to the queen, Irina?" she said dryly.

Irina nodded. "I sincerely apologize."

"Good," the reptilian woman said and slithered to the table. She faced the cauldron and placed her hands about two feet above it. She recited a Gaelic chant repeatedly, and slowly the liquid in the pot glittered and its color became like a rainbow. The scrolls glowed and sent light out to all directions and then into the pot, after flying in spirals and swiveling.

"It's working…," Irina said. Her eyes narrowed and she folded her arms across her chest. The reptilian queen continued chanting as the scrolls danced above the cauldron.

The liquid turned black. The scrolls stopped moving but floated still. The reptilian queen also paused. She lifted a basket which was found under the table the cauldron was on. She held it in one hand and pulled out its contents with the other. She produced a leaf, dropped in it the black liquid and said, "_Cré._" Next, she held a pearl. "_Uisce,_"she said. She drew a feather and dropped it into cauldron. "_Aeir,_" she whispered. Finally, she took out a vial of blood and poured it in the liquid, saying, "_Dóiteáin._"

The entire cauldron glowed and this time, an impenetrable barrier of light surrounded it, while a ghost-like figure rose from inside the pot. The liquid attached to the figure and spread on its exterior, hardened and became its skin. Its torso was gray with encrusted marks and spirals. It had no feet, but an unstable white tail. And although it had skin, it was still translucent and did not float through solid objects.

It had balls of light as eyes. It had no mouth, no nose, no ears and no other holes in its head but its two glowing eyes. They stared at the reptilian woman, who hissed wildly and smiled. "At last," she said. "_Spiorad na Draiochta_, hear me. I am your Master." The "Spiorad na Draiochta" straightened immediately. Its eyes turned bright red and Irina's met with them.

"_Isabel,_" Irina said furiously. "Do not waste your time destroying the Island, you fool. You have your own Kingdom, and your own family!" She grabbed the dagger strapped to her thigh and slashed the spirit with it. Unfortunately, it did not take any effect.

"Ha! Too late, Irina, I've bonded the elements. The Spirit of Magic has finally awakened. With it, Cahill Island, a place of many imperfections, will be wiped out. I will build a new empire, where all will live harmoniously under my reign," Isabel said coldly. "It is not my intention to destroy the Island."

"Are you insane?" Irina demanded, her eye twitching.

Isabel's eyes turned into balls of fire. "How dare you speak to me that way?" She flung her scythe at Irina, who raised her bronze dagger, blocking the blade. She felt a burning sensation on her tongue and suddenly bowed and knelt. Isabel scoffed. "Very well," she said. "Just remember, Irina—that your son's life is what's at risk and not yours."

She strolled out of the room and the spirit followed her.

Irina knew from that moment that the entire Island was now hanging on the balance.

…

The dame walked into the dungeon and the dogs, snakes, horses, elves, pixies and wolves transformed into humans, which were their true forms. Their clothes were designed with different themes according to which Kingdom they belong to. Even fellow Lucians were imprisoned. Irina approached their cells one by one and gave them each an orb of light. "It's the key to your cell. Hide it from her. Escape tomorrow by noon. War is coming." The people nodded. They hid their orbs and thanked Irina. "We couldn't thank you enough, Dame," one of them said. "We will pay for the injustice we have done."

"Oh, you don't have to. But someone else has." She walked out of the dungeon, leaving the people crying and agonizing once again.


	10. The Sensei in the Shadows

**Chapter 9: The Sensei in the Shadows**

Sir Fiske stepped out of the meeting room where the representatives of the other kingdoms were bantering about some certain conflict occurring in their places. He thought about Hope's foretelling. Something was supposed to come and destroy the island. Is it rising already?

"The wind, it is uncontrollably freezing!" the Ekaterina alchemist, Sir Alistair, had said. He seemed serious, for he was wrapped in a thick coat upon arriving.

"Who would like to live near slimy seas?" the Tomas knight, Paul, had complained, with a pound on the table that almost destroyed it.

"The flowers are withering, the Life Tree is dying…what's to become of us?" the famous Janus painter, Fe, had asked worriedly.

The Lucian dame, Irina, however stated nothing. She was silent, but she was awfully anxious as well. Her eye kept twitching as the representatives discussed. It was an awkward feeling.

Fiske thought there was nothing bothering the Madrigal Kingdom so far. But his niece's prediction of Cahill Island's doom, which caused her intense vertigo, could be considered as conflict. It was, Fiske reflected, much worse than what the others had stated.

He had to do something about it. So he realized something that the family entrusted him to do. It was the least he could carry out…

…

The Madrigal adviser rode his horse home, went to their palace garden, and to the stone statue of his deceased sister, Grace, near her gravesite he went. He turned the small dial on the golden plate and the statue moved, revealing a secret passageway leading to an underground hall beneath it. He stepped down carefully and moved the statue back by pulling a lever attached to the stone wall. He continued his descent until a wooden door appeared in front of him.

He knocked. "Nellie?" His voice echoed through the hallway.

A girl with multi-colored hair in a black suit opened the door. "Sir Fiske!"

Fiske frowned. "Nellie, I told you about the hair last time," he said.

Nellie ignored it. "It looks good, doesn't it? How did the meeting go, by the way? I'm sure you've never said a single thing."

The adviser nodded. He paused for a while and sighed as he and Nellie walked into the room. An underground dojo. The room, like any other dojo, was unadorned. There was a stack of weapons on one side, and a few translucent glass windows. It had symbol of the Madrigal Kingdom on every column and on the wall in the center. A huge mat was on the floor. Nellie and Fiske walked in front and bowed to each other.

Nellie put her right fist against her open left hand. "Master-san," she greeted.

Fiske did the same. "Gakusei," he addressed her. Suddenly, he sent a flying kick towards Nellie, who ducked and tumbled in an instant. Even in his formal suit, the adviser moved swiftly and smoothly. Nellie swung her foot forward as she landed on the floor, a move Fiske avoided quickly. The fight lasted for a while, until Nellie was struck down by one of her master's punches.

He laughed. "I am proud to be your sensei."

"Me too," Nellie replied, fixing her rainbow hair. "So, about the meeting…"

"Ah, yes." Fiske cleared his throat and he let out a grim expression. "The Five Kingdoms are all experiencing different crises in their places. It's like some force is fighting against the magical boundaries of each. The Ekaterina Kingdom is experiencing winter in summer, the Tomas Kingdom's seas have turned into murky waters, the Janus Kingdom's Life Tree is dying, and the Lucian Kingdom…I'm not sure, but I think there is something happening that the dame wouldn't tell." He sighed. "I have a feeling…that we have to teach him as soon as possible. We have to be ready for this, Nellie. Hope's prediction is starting to make sense."

Nellie heard her master's anxious tone. "You mean what she said that something will destroy the island?" she asked. "Oh my..."

"We have to do this now. Let's try later, after the princes' meeting." Then, he straightened. "Well, I am your sensei. I have taught you everything you need to know as a ninja. I believe it's your turn to teach him."

Nellie flinched. "Wait. What? I don't know, but—"

"Let's just say it's your punishment for coloring your hair."

She sighed. "Ugh. Hmmm, it's for the Kingdom, anyway. I guess I could."

"Good." The sensei smiled.

"I'm sure he'll be easy to teach. After all, Prince Dan shows promise."

…

Fiske left the dojo and headed to Hope's room. He looked at her, solemn and glum. He sat beside her. Arthur was desperately holding his wife's hand on the other side. "I know how worried you are, son," Fiske said.

Arthur looked up. "Don't worry, Sir Fiske. I'm sure she'll be well." It was clear that he also felt desperate as he said those words. "What's happening?"

"Many things," the adviser replied.

Arthur immediately knew what Fiske meant, reading it on his face. He kissed Hope and stood up. "Is there something we should do now?"

Fiske nodded. "Prepare for war, Arthur."


	11. Meeting at the Grand Tower

**Chapter 10: Meeting at the Grand Tower**

Princess Amy hurriedly climbed the stone steps of the Grand Tower. Panting, she reached the very top room to meet the four other princesses. Natalie glared at her as she got in. Sinead stood firm while breathing deeply. Blissy floated on her cloud, with her guardian, Maria, since Blissy was still little. The twins, Madison and Reagan were whispering to one another. Amy walked to her position in line with the others.

"Sinead? Are you alright?" Reagan asked, looking at Sinead.

The Ekaterina princess gulped. "Yes." She waved her hand and a cloudy haze surrounded her. She exhaled as warmth traced her skin. "I can still feel the snowy breeze…"

"Oh…," Reagan muttered. "I've heard about what happened in your Kingdom."

"Something's also happening in our place. The waters suddenly turned green!" Madison cried.

Sinead sighed. "I don't know how it happened. But one thing I'm sure of is that it has something to do with the disappearance of the Scroll."

The twins stared at Sinead quizzically.

Amy was shocked. _Missing scroll? What's going on?_ From the corner of her eye, she saw Natalie listening intently to the conversing princesses. She looked like she wanted to speak, but kept quiet instead.

"Our Scroll is missing, too!" Madison said. "Maybe it is the reason!"

A momentary silence filled the room.

"Twee!" Blissy babbled. "Twee!"

"Wait. Is she talking to us?" Reagan asked.

"The tree," Maria whispered silently. "She's talking about the Life Tree."

"Why?" Sinead asked.

"It's dying…and the entire kingdom, too…also because of the scroll."

"No…," Amy whispered.

"How about you? Amy, Natalie? Is there anything happening in your kingdoms? Something strange? And what about your scrolls?" Reagan asked.

Amy gulped. "Well, mother said…"

Natalie interrupted. "You have no right to find out." Her eyes narrowed.

"Hmph. Well, we were just asking. And, yes Amy? Don't mind the mistress of mad." Reagan scoffed.

Natalie's fingernails faded into the shade of red.

"S-something happened…," Amy stuttered. "B-but…our s-scroll is safe."

The twins, Sinead and Natalie all eyed each other.

"What?" Natalie said. "So...all of our scrolls are missing...and yours is not?"

"That's strange." Sinead looked at Amy. "I wonder why."

"Umm…" The Madrigal princess clutched her skirt. "Well, I actually never knew about what happened in your kingdoms until now. So—"

Madison summoned a streak of water and wrapped it around Amy's hand. "Tell us. Who stole the scrolls? You _must_ know something." Her tone showed intensity.

Amy flinched. Maria tried to grab Madison's arm. "Wait. Let go of her."

"I'm asking her something important."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Madison's right, though. It can't just be a coincidence that only your scroll is unaffected." Sparks appeared on her fingernails.

The streak of water wrapped Amy's hand tighter. "I'm t-telling the t-t-truth. I d-don't know about th-this…" Apparently, Amy hated being interrogated. The water was already crawling to her arm.

Reagan stared at Amy, and the twins' eyes glinted, so did Natalie's.

Blissy yelled, "Weena! Weena!" She pointed to a stone door.

"Stop it, Blissy." Maria cupped her hand to Blissy's mouth.

Sinead snapped her finger and clouds swirled around Amy's arm. Amy bit her lip and closed her eyes. "I really don't know anything! I promise!"

"It's alright." A flash of lightning appeared and the water vaporized. A small grayish spot was left on Amy's skin, smoke curling around it.

"Oh, thank you, Sinead." Amy moaned it pain as she touched her skin. "What is this?"

"Oops. I guess I need to work on my magic more."

"Sinead. We didn't ask you to do anything," Natalie said.

"I know you didn't, but I had to."

A small vortex formed in between Reagan and Madison, Natalie and Sinead. Their emotions caused their auras to blend, which made a powerful magic reaction.

"Weena!" Blissy cried.

"What is it, Blissy?" Amy asked. She turned her head to the princesses, who were looking at each other angrily.

A blinding light came from the stone door Blissy had pointed to. It washed the room with a flaming nova and cleared the growing vortex. Panicking, the girls went to their positions.

As the light resided, a distressed-looking Dame Irina stepped out of the door.

"Good morning, Dame," the princesses greeted all at once.

Irina nodded. "Yes, good morning."

Amy gulped and stood straight. She felt the roasted ash-colored part of her arm.

Sinead shivered upon meeting the striking eyes of the dame.

Blissy sat properly on her cloud, while her guardian was poised like the other princesses.

Reagan and Madison kept their military-like positions, as what their father taught them.

Natalie's face was blank when the dame faced her. "What did you do again? Your mother's order was for me to watch over you. But you're causing trouble again."

"Was it just me? Ask them." Natalie pointed to the other princesses.

Sweat dripped down Amy's forehead.

Irina folded her arms across her chest and gave Natalie an intimidating look. "Well, we must go on. I'll speak to you later."

The dame announced that the Warrior Princess competition will be moved the following month due to circumstances she left unnamed. But she did mention that the representatives were too busy to be working on it. And as she spoke, her tone seemed to show anxiety.

"Excuse me, dame, but what about the scrolls?" Reagan asked.

"Yeah. You didn't tell us about it." Natalie demanded.

The dame coughed. "We are currently working on it; don't you worry."

"And the Madrigals…how come theirs is safe?"

"Natalie, let's just be glad that it's safe. That scroll is very dangerous when put in the wrong hands. Whoever stole the other scrolls would not dare," Irina said.

"Hmph. Didn't you ever wonder if the thief was a Madrigal?"

Irina shook her head. "I doubt it."

Amy looked down. "Well, bad things are also happening even though our scroll is there. My mother became sick, and she seemed to have been possessed."

Sinead's eyes widened. "Your mother can predict the future, right?"

"Yes, but it occurs against her will. When she is ill, it means something bad is happening in the island that involves all the Kingdoms..."

Dame Irina flinched.

Blissy pouted.

"Well…are you sure?" Natalie said. "Because our problem now doesn't involve yours, right? Your scroll is safe, and your environment is completely natural."

Amy tried to keep a straight face. "No! That's not true. I have a feeling something bad _is _happening"—she gulped—"or, Mother told me, _will_ happen…"

"AAAARRGGHHH!" someone screamed from below the tower. The princesses, Maria and Dame hurried to the windows. They felt the floor shake.

"Dan!" Amy cried.

"No, Prince Jonah!" Maria yelled. "Babou!" Blissy babbled.

"Brother!" The twins screamed.

"Ian," Natalie whispered to herself, looking at the injured prince. "Stay there, I'll come down."

Irina couldn't believe her eyes. The sky was dark gray with streaks of red and orange. The princes who were training on the grounds of the tower scurried like ants below. Their medic, Sir Alistair and their sword fighting teacher, the Tomas knight Paul, tried to gather the boys. A huge ghost-like creature emerged from the forest.

It was the _Spiorad na Draiochta, _making its attack.


	12. First Stage of Attack

**Chapter 11: First Stage of Attack**

The sounds of crunching wood and howling were so deafening that Princess Amy was not able to concentrate on walking down the stairs. It was a very long descent to the Grand Tower's exit door. Amy stopped for a while to focus her blurred vision. She felt her pulse throb fast. "Amy, c'mon!" She heard Reagan call as she dragged her by the arm.

The next thing that happened could have crushed all of them. The top of the tower collapsed and the stone tumbled towards them. They tried to dodge the rubble and crawl down but the staircase itself crumbled and all of them fell in the air.

Irina cast a spell that enclosed Natalie, Amy and her in a barrier. Slowly, they floated to the ground. Madison and Reagan slid down with the stones using their water magic. Sinead called for her Pegasus and rode it with Blissy and Maria.

The creature got closer and it destroyed anything it encountered. It used fire and wind on the trees and grass, a huge wave of water on the animals and it entangled the people using thorny vines and leaves.

It created a huge ball of fire and threw it to the area of the tower. The Tomas children whirled around and blocked it with a giant shield of water.

"Run, everyone!" Hamilton called. The water shield drained most of his energy. He then fainted in the middle of the field. His sisters carried him to Prince Ted, who gave him a potion to soothe his nerves.

Dan tumbled on the grass and scarred his elbow. "Ow!" Amy helped him up and ran to a tree holding Dan. Ian grabbed Dan's arm and hung it over his shoulder. "Come on," she said.

Prince Dan rested beside the tree and breathed heavily. Prince Ned approached him and gave him a small treatment. "Where did that thing come from?" asked Dan, looking at the spirit. "Ouch! What is that?" He shrieked as Ned coated his arm with a sticky ointment.

"Just something to clean your wound," said Ned. "An Ekaterina specialty."

"Well, it hurts."

"It'll go away in a while."

Ted hopped on his winged horse and pulled out his sword from the sheath. "You're going down, creature!" The Pegasus flew towards the Spiorad na Draiochta. He seized the spirit and flung his sword at it. It entered its body and dissolved in smoke. "What?" Ted was stunned.

Ned guffawed. "Well, of course, it's a spirit! It's pointless to try to slice it, Ted!"

Ted slapped his forehead. "That was so dumb of me." He raised his hand and created a gust of wind. The spirit glowed bright yellow and threw the gust back at the prince, which sent him and his horse flying away. "AAAGHHH!"

"I'll do this," Sinead said as she grabbed her bow and arrow. She began hurling magic-cast arrows at the Spiorad na Draiochta, and to her surprise, her arrows were burned to dust as they touched its body. Sinead gasped. "No!"

Ned left Dan and joined his siblings. Amy came to Dan and looked after him.

"Are you alright? Don't worry, it's gonna be fine. I think I've seen this spirit before…," she said.

"In books, you mean," Dan corrected.

Amy nodded. "I guess…because it looks so familiar."

"Well, do you know how to destroy it?"

"Ummm, I'm not—Ahh!" A huge chunk of debris fell on the area close to where Amy and Dan were. "Let's go to somewhere safer!"

"Blissy!" Jonah cried as he gestured for his sister.

"Babou! Scawee…," Blissy muttered, flying to Jonah.

"Don't worry. We'll beat that monster. Now, do you remember that trick Father taught you? We will wrap that thing with vines, okay?"

Blissy nodded as a smile curled on her lips.

"Ready? Now!" Jonah's hand pointed to the ground and vines sprouted. The vines crawled on the spirit's leg and seemed to slow it down. Blissy summoned an array of flowers and tossed it on the spirit's face.

"I said, 'vines'! But, oh well…" Jonah sighed.

Prince Ian and Princess Natalie eyed each other. "Should we do it?" Natalie asked.

The prince nodded. "Come on."

The siblings closed their eyes and bowed their heads. "Dracanae," they whispered. Green scales encrusted their skin, the outer rims of their eyes turned red, sharp teeth surrounded their forked tongues, and their legs lengthened and became tails.

Dan gasped, surprised. "Whoa. You look…," he said. "Awful."

"Excuse me?" Ian stared threateningly at Dan.

"Ummm…I mean that's really great!" Dan felt sweat run down his forehead.

Fire burst out of Ian and Natalie's scaly hands in different forms: arrows, balls, and whips. They spun around the creature, slowing it down a little bit more. Jonah and Maria wrapped its legs with vines, while the Lucian children targeted its head.

The Tomas twins glided in the air on magical icy boards, throwing discs of water and snow at the arms. Ned, Ted and Sinead attacked it with thunder and wind.

"It's getting closer!" Somebody yelled.

Flames of different colors burned on the ground and transformed into a variety of mythical creatures. And for a moment they were silent, in stance—getting ready to attack.

"Sh-should we attack those monsters?" Sinead stared at them as they formed one by one.

"Of course we should!" Natalie replied, grabbing her weapon, a legendary wand, tight.

"Maybe if we do, it'll damage the spirit," Hamilton said.

"Right," Jonah whispered.

Ian sighed. "All right…prepare, in case they charge."

A bigger creature formed in the middle of them—something with the head of an eagle, and the body of a lion. "The Gryphon. That stupid Gryphon." Maria gritted her teeth.

Then, their eyes glowed red all at once.

And they attacked.

Dan crawled to the corner of a huge rock, clutching his arm. "Dan, come back! You're injured!" Amy's cry rose above the noise of fighting and screaming.

"Just a minute, I think I could help!"

Amy scoffed. "Well, please be careful." She got her leather bag and opened the book about the history of Cahill Island. She turned the pages rapidly. "Spirit…spirit…," she said as she flipped through the book.

Dan reached into his coat and pulled out his shurikens and mask. He wrapped the mask around his head carefully. "Urgh," he groaned painfully. He slid the shurikens into his pocket and got up on his feet. "I'll get those monsters. I don't care if I don't know magic…"

"…I am a ninja."

The prince made his way through the big rocks and noticed an "M" symbol etched into one. "Madrigal," he whispered. He touched the crest and it glowed. His eyes widened as the rock dissolved and a trapdoor was released from underneath. He leaned close to it and examined it, just in time for it to open. The arm of someone from beneath grabbed Dan by the foot, and pulled him down to a secret dojo.


	13. The Ninja Apprentice

**Chapter 12: The Ninja Apprentice**

A hard surface welcomed Prince Dan's body. He felt his arms and neck, then his legs, searching for any bruises. Still recovering from the wound the giant monster had given him, he stood up and was awestruck by what he saw.

He shook his head. "A dojo?"

Dan remembered touching a rock with the Cahill crest. A secret door opened and an arm pulled him down. He looked around searching for who could have done that. The room was empty and cold. He examined the wooden floor and wall. He touched the giant columns with the Madrigal symbols—then he realized that it did belong to them.

He was at a loss for words. The dojo was his dream come true.

He then spoke, "Hello? I want to know who brought me here. Umm…the one who pulled my foot, I guess?"

While waiting for an answer, Dan quietly approached the chest in the corner of the dojo. It was a huge stone box, decorated with obsidian. It was lined with silver and the lock was made of glass. He gazed at his reflection on the tiny shard. He gulped and pushed the top of the box slowly. He looked at the contents. There were swords, heavy shields, knives, hatchets and other weapons, glowing in different colors. "Could these be . . . elemental weapons?" he said as he got a small red blade. A tail of fire flickered in the air as the prince slashed it. "They are! That is so awesome!" he yelled in amazement.

Dan continued to sway the blade, accompanying it with jumping and tumbling. He threw the weapon in the air. Unexpectedly, a figure in black shot into the air and grabbed it. The figure landed swiftly on the dojo floor and bowed to Prince Dan.

Wide-eyed, the prince said, "A duel? You asked for it." Dan laughed as he slid out the shurikens from his pocket.

A fight initiated between the two. The black-clad person started by swinging the flaming sword at Prince Dan with incredible grace. _No doubt,_ the prince thought_, this one knows how to fight_. He avoided the attacks and certainly, it was not easy for him. His mouth went dry and his wound ached as he tried to pick up speed. The figure jumped and rolled midair to evade one of Dan's kicks. He threw one of his shurikens and managed to tear only a small part of his opponent's black sleeve.

Dan gasped. _I must pin him onto something…"_

The wooden floor was the perfect choice. There was only one problem: the enemy was too reckless and impulsive for his own good. His swift movements almost made Dan's head spin. Chunks of wood were torn from the floor as the figure ran the sword on its surface.

The prince ran to the enemy and twisted his arms. He took a good look at his figure. Then he realized he was wrong.

Slim and toned physique. _It was a girl._

As payback, the enemy performed a quick chop on the prince's back using his—her—leg. Dan fell to the floor and gripped on his shurikens. He was cautious about the fiery blade touching him. Dan's legs were shaking. His lips were quivering. He felt a bead of sweat drip down his brow.

His enemy raised the red blade. The prince's vision blurred. Then he jumped back on his feet and ran around the room. He hid behind a column and prepared his weapons, lining the stars on his belt. His breathing was rapid and rough. His posture stiffened. The figure approached him. Dan hurled a misplaced wooden plank.

"Bam!" Dan yelled as the plank hit his opponent right in the head.

The enemy lost balance. His arms shook as he tried to stand up.

_Here goes._

Prince Dan swiftly threw two shurikens towards the figure. In a heartbeat, she was pinned on the floor. Her sleeves were pierced and buried in the thick wood. The prince ran to him to remove his mask. The figure raised her hand to make a "stop" gesture.

"Wait! This is my favorite suit!" she shrieked, removing her mask and combing her hair with her hands.

Dan stood frozen. He dropped his weapons. "NELLIE?" Dan noticed her rainbow streak was gone, and she had a really weird smile on her face. Her eyes looked tougher yet still collected and casual.

"That—" Nellie coughed. "—was one of the greatest fights ever!"

"B-But . . ."

"You like the dojo? Master Fiske designed this new one. There are three others around the island. This one was built eleven years ago—specifically, on the day of your birth—and this is his favorite. He said old flame torches were the last things he needed."

"H-How?" the prince stuttered. "U-Uncle Fiske? He's a n-ninja?"

Nellie laughed. "Of course! Now, now, don't go busting the place right there. Want to know the whole story? If not, well, you can always check out our royal library and—"

"Tell me!" Dan said, his eyes widening in awe.

"Ahem. Okay. As you know, Mother Madeleine took no elixir and didn't have magical powers. But you see, she travelled a lot after "that night". She collected elemental weapons, like this one." She raised the burning blade. "This one is my personal favorite. Anyway, she got the weapons—arrows, daggers, swords, gauntlets, among others—from scraps of the materials her siblings used when they built the structures for the first four kingdoms."

The look on the prince's face was eager.

"She travelled farther. And farther. Then she met an elder in the greater east, near the boundary of the Tomas. Elders were people who refused to join civilization. They depended on raw power and not in magic," Nellie explained thoroughly.

"One of them, in exchange for Madeleine's golden earth pole, taught her hunting and fighting. Another one helped her master swimming and climbing trees. Then she consulted their leader, who taught her how to be a ninja. It was a long process and I suppose it took her an entire decade."

"So . . . those skills were passed on to us?" Dan asked.

"Most certainly. But not all of them. Only the ninja heritage stayed strong."

Suddenly, a rock fell through the ceiling entrance and crashed through the wooden floor. The two tumbled away from each other to avoid the impact. Dan looked up. He listened to the sounds of war, which were seemingly penetrating him. He heard Amy's screams clearly. Nellie headed for the stone chest and dug for a thunder katana and a water bell. She tied her belt tight. She put her black mask on.

Dan looked at his wound. It was almost healed completely. He thought it would just a few more minutes before it would be gone. Apparently, he loved Ekaterina medicine already.

"Dan, I advise you pick your own weapon now. We have to plunge back into war soon. Choose only one, though." She flashed a grin.

The prince walked closer to the precious chest. He shuffled through the weapons. He sighed and touched a crystal sword longer than his arm, marked with the Tomas crest. Looking up through the giant hole in the ceiling, he sensed he wouldn't need a giant sword to fight. He pushed back the heavy stone cap and gazed at the small glass lock. Picking himself up, he asked, "Hey Nellie . . . I just thought . . . maybe I could have your fire dagger?"

A creature roared above them. A parade of stomps and falling debris followed.

Nellie put a hand on Dan's head. She handed him her favorite weapon.

"Why, out of the entire arsenal?" she laughed. "Come on, Prince Dan. We need to seal this place quick."

**Author's Note:** I don't want to count how many friggin' months I was out. Anyway, I hope this makes up for it. It's a little bit longer than usual chapters. You may have also noticed that my style has changed. I guess the year-long hiatus has taken the best of me. And about my account, I have moved to that one under the username "Oniksu". Sadly, "The Secret of the Madrigal Scroll" is the only one worthy of reading in this profile. DARN. Thank you for the reviews, by the way! :D I tried to fix all of the plot holes and did my best to not make this look like a stupid spin-off XD. I'll answer the questions some time soon. ;D Thanks! Hope you guys like it!


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